Yankees, Girardi agree to three-year, $9M deal

After the Yankees were eliminated from the ALCS last week, Brian Cashman said his first order of business would be to re-sign manager Joe Girardi. Six days later, that’s been taken care of. Mark Feinsand reports that the two sides have agreed on a new three-year, $9M contract, exactly what’s been rumored for the last few days. Joel Sherman says there is another $450,000-$500,000 in bonuses related to ALCS and World Series finishes. The I’s are still being dotted and the T’s are still being crossed, but otherwise it’s pretty much a done deal. An official announcement could come as soon as today according to Feinsand, but tomorrow’s a safer bet since it’s the World Series off-day.

The 46-year-old Girardi has been managing the Yankees since the 2008 season, and has guided them to the game’s best record since taking over at 287-199. After the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in 13 years during his first season as manager, Girardi led the Yanks to their 27th World Championship in 2009 and owns a 16-8 record in the playoffs during his career. He’s been criticized for everything from being too uptight to getting too caught up in matchups to using a binder (oh noes!) to falling in love with his backup catcher, but to a man the players have all said they love playing for Joe since he’s gotten here, and that’s important.

Speculation was that he could bolt for his hometown Chicago Cubs after the season, who were looking for a manager following Lou Piniella’s sudden retirement earlier this year. That option vanished for Girardi two weeks ago when the Cubs removed the interim tag from Mike Quade and gave him the manager’s job outright. We’ll probably never know if Girardi intended to pursue that job, but we do know one thing, he lost some negotiating leverage when that option was taken off the table.

Although we don’t know the exact breakdown of the new deal, the average annual value is the sixth highest among MLB managers, tied with Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel. Girardi’s previous contract was for $7.5M over three years, so he’s getting a $500,000 a year raise. Honestly, that seems quite modest. I’m surprised it’s just a 20% raise. I guess that’s a result of the Cubs not being an option. Either way, welcome back Joe.

Update:Joel Sherman says Girardi will receive exactly $3M per season, so no signing bonus or anything like that.

If you had access to a binder that had stats on what all your coworkers have done in every relevant situation, as well as what your competition had done in every relevant situation, you’d read that binder every f#$%ing day. It would be an invaluable part of your job. You’d use it to explain why you did what you did to your bosses, and they’d agree with your process and praise you for having such a useful tool.

Thomas

I assume most other managers doesn’t need a binder in the dugout. They already have it memorized.

Joe Torre had his whole binder memorized. Of course, the entire binder was various Photoshopped pictures of himself whipping Tanyon Sturtze with a cat o’ nine tails.

http://www.teamnerdrage.com dr mrs the yankee

it was just ROTCORP scribbled across a page in lipstick.

http://twitter.com/AndrewLeighNYC Andrew

Joe Torre had a binder, too, I’m pretty sure. It just didn’t become a running joke because he shot the breeze with all the beat writers and asked them how their dogs were or some other similar small talk, making him beloved and untouchable and what not. Also because he seemed to never use it while letting Proctor or Quantrill throw 40 pitches in a relief outing.

Joe Girardi gets shit for his binder from the beat reporters because Joe Girardi isn’t “the other guy” who those reporters covered for 12 years and grew to have a relationship with.

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

Game 4 of the 2001 World Series was on ESPN Classic the other day and I had it on and they verrrry clearly had a shot of Torre’s binder. I had to laugh.

Also, the binder jokes were funny at first, but are now just terrible.

Jon in CUO

You would, unless you knew that many of the statistics contained therein were almost useless, having been gleaned from small sample size situations and lifetime numbers, and any attempt to play matchups against your coworkers based on these statistics would probably harm, not help, your career.

You’re assuming that he always uses those numbers to choose for him in every circumstance. He most likely doesn’t. Sometimes, if the statistical evidence is strong enough, he goes with it; when it’s not conclusive enough, he doesn’t.

And for the record (to pre-respond to a likely rebuttal), Girardi doesn’t go to handedness matchups any more or less than any other manager who doesn’t have a binder. All 30 big league managers routinely lift superior relievers for inferior ones of the opposite hand to exploit a batter’s platoon split. They all do it because most of the time, it works. And it works most of the time for Girardi as well, we just remember the times it didn’t work more because that’s how the human brain is wired.

Johnny O

2009 world series, i’d rather have damaso marte pitch to ryan howard than anyone else on the yankees staff. and it worked.

Jon in CUO

I think you’re making a few more assumptions about Girardi’s thought processes than I am. I’m not really assuming anything – just remarking upon what we know, that Girardi himself sometimes points to lifetime numbers or other SSS situations when explaining a particular bullpen decision.

I don’t have a problem with handedness-based moves, or statistics based on pitcher type (i.e., Player A does better against power pitchers than finesse pitchers) – those moves usually have a strong statistical basis. I acknowledge that Girardi is as good as or better than just about any other MLB manager at handling this stuff. There’s a ton of information available to a manager, and I just wish he’d do a better job of knowing what’s worthwhile and what’s worthless.

rbizzler

I think that you are also making assumptions about what Girardi says to the media. The reasons he trots out at pressers for making a move may not actually be the whole picture.

I think the biggest reason Torre’s binder wasn’t a target of MSM/internet ridicule and Girardi’s is is that we now live in the age of increased awareness of the statistical research applied to baseball, and there’s been a mainstream backlash against it.

Girardi’s not doing anything Torre wasn’t doing (more or less), but it’s not cool anymore to be analytical as a manager. He’s caught in the stream of anti-intellectualism.

Only in America would people complain about a person in a decisionmaking role using a valuable book full of researched facts to crosscheck and validate the hunches and intuitions he has before he makes his choice.

Trying to figure out the other five, the interwebs are not helping me.
Pinella,Torre, and Cox all gone for next year.

Assuimng LaRussa, Francona, Baker

Maybe Maddon

Who else?

http://twitter.com/cephster Ross in Jersey

Scoscia, Manuel, maybe Ozzie would be my guesses

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

Leyland might be up there too.

larryf

Torre had Zimmer. Girardi has Pena. Big advantage to Girardi. I think he leans on Tony P. quite a bit and I am good with that. Pena will be a great asset to Montero unless Joe G. is fluent in Spanish. Of course, Cervelli and Posada will help in that dept. too.

He right. It was clear those speculating on giving him an OF glove hadn’t seen much of him.

steve (different one)

Jesus can also give interviews in Aramaic

Klemy

haha well played

Murakami

Yeshua could give them in Aramaic. “Jesus”? Likely in Greek :).

Murakami

If the Yankees are smart, they will not only ride Montero’s back, but recognize that he is a gorgeous, strapping, affable kid who can sell the Yankee brand for a long time.

Of course, when he’s slumping, those who got mad at Cano for “smiling” will say he doesn’t “care” enough.
Montero is a delight – likes to smile and take in the park while in the batter’s box, does a gentle jig to the music, which probably involves too much hip action not to make a certain type “uncomfortable”, much like the “routines” we saw from Cano and Melky that a certain type of fan never tired of disavowing and calling “un-Yankee” like.

When he’s hammering the ball out to all fields, however, this will be considered charming.

Murakami

Ride is bat. Riding his back might not be too wise, considering at his size, it’ll take a beating behind the plate, as it is.

CP

I actually think one of the problems with Torre was when Zimmer left after 2004. Zimmer was probably the one that would point out that using Proctor for the 10th day in a row is probably not the best idea.

http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

Yepp, I always said that when Zimmer left, that was the end for Torre. They would always talk about Torre “pushing the right buttons” when I believe it was Zimmer pressing those buttons. Torre did the personalities, Zimmer did the baseball.

Why would Pena every take the job as pirates manager? I can see him leaving for a managerial vacancy, but not with the Pirates. There’s no way he can work the same managerial magic he did in 2003 with the Royals with the Pirates.

Big Stein

nomaas and lohud are in mourning.

Eric Young

Nomaas peaked during Torre’s final season. It’s total crap now.

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

NoMaas was totally awesome in 2007, it provided me with a lot of sanity early on when the Yankees were terrible. It’s really fallen off a cliff though. And I’m not really sure what their problem with RAB is (the commenters, I mean).

And I’m not really sure what their problem with RAB is (the commenters, I mean).

Perhaps the lesson NoMass should learn is if RAB banned a commenter, they should consider banning that same person when he/she migrates to their site and uses it as a platform to keep spreading his/her batshit insane grudge against intelligence.

If McDonald’s kicks a mental patient out if its restaurant for jerking off in the bathroom, maybe Burger King should cast a wary eye at that crazy fucker when he walks in and ask for a key to the lavatory.

JerseyDutch

Which McDonalds are you hanging out in, dude?

pat

Actually nomaas is begrudgingly happy about it.

Eric Young

I saw that. If they wrote that well and reasonably on a regular basis, maybe they could regain some relevence.

rbizzler

Nomaas: Come for the photoshops, leave 30 seconds later.

http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

Except most of their photoshops suck these days too.

AndrewYF

The site redesign destroyed them. What a horrible idea.

They just need to go back to doing photoshops. They used to do some additional cool things like draft reviews and prospect stuff, but there’s plenty of better sites for that now (like RAB, and RLYW). They’ve been completely overtaken in that department.

They need to just go back and make funny photoshops every day. That’s all that ever stood out about the place anyway.

Plus, the forums, which were a butcher shop of internet tough guys, died. Funnily enough, it was around the midseason of 2009, when no one had anything to complain about anymore.

rbizzler

I think that their prospect guy left for greener pastures, no? IIRC, he was the guy that had the connections with Opp and Mark Newman.

rbizzler

Le Sigh.

Eric Young

Agreed. They also had some sharp posters who could back up their points but, for whatever reason, drove them off.

nathan

How dare he?

You mean there are incentives to win the WS (just like Joe Torre’s original contract?)? You mean that is not an insult? Only Joe Torre thinks its an insult?

gc

Did Torre have post-season incentive clauses in his previous Yankee contracts? I really don’t know. If not, then look at it this way, If your boss came at you with a new contract that had all these performance clauses in them, when you never had them in any previous contract before, wouldn’t you have a “WTF” moment or three?

But, again, you have to consider A.) what the prior salary was, and B.) what ratio of guaranteed base money to nonguaranteed bonus money it is.

Girardi’s deal is 3M guaranteed with 500k in incentives, and he was making less than 3M last contract with no incentives.

Torre was coming off a 7.5M guaranteed (500k in incentives) and then was offered a 5M guaranteed with 3M in incentives.

That’s clearly a contract offer that says “We’re not guaranteeing you more money than last time because we have questions about your performance; you now have to earn 40% of your salary through nonguaranteed incentives.”

The Yankees were justified in offering that type of contract, and Torre was justified in thinking that it was effectively a downgrade in pay and a vote of no confidence.

gc

Plus the whole Randy Levine “We just think it’s important to motivate people” comment. As if the manager of the New York Yankees needs to somehow be officially, and in writing on a contract, be reminded that he must be motivated to win.

nathan

Am sorry, Joe Torre did need motivation. Let us face it, he got caught up in the “Torre is invincible” stuff.

I always remember a quote he repeated often (paraphrased) ” After we lost in 2001, a fan came up in spring 02 and told me ‘dont wry you will get them next year’. I just realized how spoiled we have made them”

Tell me what was wrong in what the fan said. Is it wrong to say you will do one better next year? The fan didnt say “you better do one better next year”. I think he got saturated and got caught up in being the manager of Yanks and the perks (and his foundation) rather than focusing on just managing the baseball team.

gc

Nope. Not buying it. Some of those latter teams he managed started off pretty poorly, and then turned it on to a ridiculous degree just to make the playoffs (or win the AL East, which they did what 10 times?). Working to get the best record, secure home field, etc etc etc…all with not a lot of depth in the rotation or bullpen…I don’t think he needed to be reminded that winning is important to the Yankees. You’re looking at one quote and extrapolating his entire mindset, which I don’t believe is exactly fair.

Look, he had his faults and I agree his time had run its course here, but please, if all he cared about were the perks (i’ll leave the foundation thing out of it, because it has no place in what we’re talking about, and is kind of a dickish thing to even refer to on your part IMO), then he more than anyone knew that the perks were absolutely and completely tied into winning. He didn’t need to be “reminded.”

nathan

I hv no problem with his foundation, infact its a very unique on and should be commended. But I am saying along the way he went from being a manager to something more than that and he wasnt all motivated like he used to be.

And that one quote can be dismissed if he said it once, he said it every year and every chance, chances are if you ask him now abt the 2010 miss he will refer the quote.

gc

So what? You’re still extrapolating meaning from a quote and for all we know that quote can mean something different to him than it does for you.

nathan

Blame Steve Swindal for that 05 to 07 contract.

Too bad if he felt insulted. Steinbrenner made his career by giving him the keys to the dynasty, his managerial record was putrid before Yankees.

Is it so bad to tell a manager you are not worth 7.5 straight up. earn it !

And if you are a manager worth your salt, why not take that challenge and prove you are worth it. Dont players rework their contracts with incentives all the time. The fact that he felt insulted by that offer shows what he is about.

I have problems with Torre beyond that. His book was despicable, the idea that sharing what goes on in the clubhouse in a tell-all just shows what he is about. Even worse was the 2004/2005 (?) article on SI.com by Verducci about ARod and how Giambi confronted ARod to be ‘manly’. Torre was a reason that clubhouse had teams and not a team.

Mike HC

Torre gets too much shit for that here in my opinion. There is enough stress being the manager of the Yankees as it is. Do you really need the added of stress of knowing you lose out on a million dollars or whatever if you don’t win the WS. I don’t see a problem not wanting to manage under those conditions.

nathan

Except that was in his contract the previous two times. He bagged good money for reaching the WS and ALCS from 96 to 07

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

Wait, you mean Incarcerated Bob wasn’t right?

Big Stein

and he had THREE yankee sources.

Murakami

I’m not worked up like people here to defend Joe’s honor.
He’s not a great manager, but he backs his players and likes his pitchers to pitch inside without apology.
The impact of a manager in baseball is somewhat over stated. Great teams can over come mediocre to bad decisions, and in 2009, no one was beating the Yankees. The 2010 edition, I suspect, had too many injured guys to make it sail, otherwise Colby Lewis gets tattooed and we win the thing.

gc

Who’s a great manager then? Just curious as to your standard.

Murakami

I guess I don’t really believe in The Great Manager, having given it some thought.

My sense is, the “great” manager is, in part, an invention of the media. I saw the “great” Sciosca run his team out of the ALDS two years ago. I’m an old-timer, and guys like Earl Weaver and Billy Martin made their share of mistakes. Cox won all those divisions, but had great pitching. You should see how he is vilified on Braves’ blogs

I think there’s more impact from coaches in other sports, where schemes can either enhance or misuse their own material. A coach can really screw up a good hockey or football team, for instance.

rbizzler

I think that most people here who “defend Joe’s honor” already know that managers have a relatively small impact on the outcome of the games. Hence our desire to counteract the knee-jerk Girardi haters out there.

Not so much out of love for Joe G., but more in defense of rational thought and a general disdain for ignorance.

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

This. Oh, and I’m *really* tired of the binder jokes, especially now.

Hughesus Christo

There’s no rational defense for Girardi being re-signed that doesn’t also raise significant questions about Torre being booted… which people agreed with.

So don’t cite “defending reason” here.

rbizzler

Not sure what your point is.

Mine was that Murakimi was conflating defending Girardi with being enamored with his managerial style, which is not necessarily true.

Murakami

I’d have to really be pro-Joe, myself, to have the energy to get angry at people who mocked his nearly religious reliance on small sample sizes. Not like he didn’t earn some of that binder irony.

Joe is fine as the manager, the continuity is comforting. Other than that, I can’t get worked up about him. Changing managers after a 95-win season would have been gratuitous.

rbizzler

I am basically in agreement with you about Girardi.

Once again, it is not really about defending Joe G., but more about having a realistic understanding of how much a manager impacts the outcomes of games.

Murakami

Yeah, Joe will have a “great” year if AJ can bounce back, Hughes adapts to more innings, CC is healthy, Andy comes back healthy, Rivera returns and is healthy, Robertson’s back isn’t ailing…

rbizzler

Right. Agreed.

CP

There are tons of reasons to resign Girardi that also apply to why Torre was let go.

whozat

That’s totally inaccurate. Joe Torre was clearly making decisions about who to play and in which situations that were based on his gut feelings. Unless a young player impressed immediately, or there was absolutely no other option, he was unlikely to put that player an opportunity to develop into a contributing member of the ballclub. That’s just not sustainable.

JohnnyC

Bring me Raul Mondesi…now take him away.
Bring me Ruben Sierra…now take him away.
Bring me a cup of green tea…don’t take it away.

Big Stein

Doncha think he was brilliant when he brought in Mo to finish off the Chualupa?

The Almighty Binder

I’m just surprised he didn’t bring in Chad Gaudin before going to Mo.

http://twitter.com/AndrewLeighNYC Andrew

There isn’t a ton of defending of his honor even necessary, he’s been successful as a manager with his team on the field and there haven’t been any clubhouse meltdowns/controversies/explosions that have gone public. Girardi seems good at leading this particular team, but it often gets way overlooked in favor of criticizing very minor stuff he says or does, or turning him into a caricature with all the idiotic rips about his binder/decision-making process. That is what leads to defenses of him, I think.

Big Stein

the average annual value is the sixth highest among MLB managers,
——————————————————————
who’s ahead of Girardi?

I know Baker and Francona are, but who else.

It’s kinda odd to see Francona as the highest paid manger in baseball, when Boston is constantly, constantly portrayed as a “small market team” — the little engine who could.

pat

Also odd to see their ownership group buying a soccer team.

whozat

The little engine who could…pick up a 13MM option for a DH

Hughesus Christo

Was Joe Torre a great manager? Apparently “they won a lot of games” stopped being enough for him, but it is for Girardi, even though he did manage to miss the playoffs once.

Any bad decisions Joe Girardi has made thus far have only happened for 3 years; he should be given an opportunity to grow into his job to see if he learns from his mistakes.

Torre was given that opportunity for 12 years. His clock had run out.

Additional reasons they’re different:

Girardi hasn’t won a title in a year when he was re-upped. Torre hadn’t won a title in seven years when he was let go. There’s a big difference.

Also, Torre had to have rules placed on him to keep him from breaking the organization’s new young pitching prospect like he’d damaged other pitchers previously. Girardi has never had an issue with potentially damaging the career of a young Yankee.

I’m sorry, no. Three years of Joe Girardi is not equivalent to 12 years of Joe Torre (at twice the salary, no less) when it comes to the decisionmaking process of the Yankee front office as to whether or not the manager deserves a new contract and a pay raise.

Not remotely.

CP

It’s not just that Torre didn’t learn. My concern was that he got worse. Early on, he was willing to trust young players, and balance the workload in the pen. By the end, the only players he trusted were the core four, Luis Sojo and Scott Proctor.

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

Thank you, both of you. Re-signing Girardi after three years isn’t even close to the Torre situation. I know Hughesus Christo’s Girardi hate is absurd and I suspect like 80% of it is just trolling at this point anyway, but to suggest it’s the same situation is like, beyond absurdity. (This is beyond baseball.)

Jack

When making comparisons among the managers (and GMs), it only makes sense to compare the performance and the cost together.

http://www.twitter.com/tomzig Tom Zig

Fact: in each of the 3 years Joe Torre spent in LA the Dodgers had less wins than the Yankees. Even 2008.

Also having one of the top 3 greatest right handed hitters and sure-fire hall of famer still performing at a high level will help. As well as having Andre Eithier, Matt Kemp and a pretty good pitching staff to boot.

http://twitter.com/riddering Riddering

I think Messrs Ethier, Kemp, Hudson, Martin, Blake, Furcal, Ramirez, Kershaw, Billingsley, and Broxton had more to do with LA’s postseason berths in 2008 & 2009 than Torre.

pat

Wait, I thought your boy incarcerated bob said it was a lock he’s leaving?

UncleArgyle

Girardi can manage a bullpen, ergo, he’s a good manager for the Yankees. Aside from dealing with the media, all the other onfield stuff could be handled by Chimp with a Magic 8 ball and lead to similiar results.

I know, I know, I just saw it and got very pissed off. I fucking hate him so much.

Anyways, to be on topic, glad Joe Girardi is back. He’s the best man for the job, period.

UncleArgyle

Lupica is a dink of Epic Proportions.

andypettitteisastartingpitcher

Welcome back Joe. Get an iPad and watch people go NUTS. I’ll even buy it for ya.

Big Stein

154 days
22 weeks

till the season opener on Thursday, March 31st

Mondoas

I am happy w/Joe being back. With regards to the binder, when he looks at his binder, it makes him look as though he doesn’t know what he’s doing kinda like it’s not coming to him naturally. Maybe what’s in the binder is a large dose of info that is changing daily so that’s why he is always looking in it. I think that maybe we would like to see him look the part. I don’t visualize a manager always looking in a binder. Lets just hope he does well next year binder or no binder..28 in 2011!!!
Btw, to the writers of RAB, first, you guys rock!! Second, can you guys do a article on what you think Girardi does well and what he stinks at. Then talk about how you think he can improve. Maybe you can do it after it becomes “official”.